Red Beans and Rice

Creamy, flavorful, slow-cooked vegan red beans & rice are the perfect dish to feed a crowd. This recipe makes a ton & freezes beautifully.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cajun

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 12

Total Time 12 30

Servings

Calories 337

Author Timothy Pakron

Ingredients

1 lb dried red kidney beans
10 cups water
2-inch piece dried kombu
½ cup olive oil
½ stick vegan butter (4 tablespoons)

Vegetables and Seasonings

¾ cup chopped shallots (1 very large shallot)
1 cup chopped celery (1 large stalk)
½ cup shredded or diced carrots (1 medium carrot)
½ cup chopped green onion
¾ cup chopped green bell pepper (1 medium pepper)
4 medium-sized fresh bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
½ cup fresh chopped parsley
1 ½ tablespoons fresh chopped sage leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 cups chopped ripe tomato (1 very large tomato)
1 small Thai chili, chopped (optional)

Fresh Boost + Vinegar + Salt

2 tablespoons diced celery
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
¼ green bell pepper
¼ cup fresh chopped garlic
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons tamari
2 teaspoons smoked sea salt
Salt and pepper to taste
Fluffy cooked rice to serve

Instructions

Cover the beans in a bowl of filtered water. Let soak overnight (at least 8 hours). Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer them to a large pot and cover with 10 cups of filtered water. Nothing else! Turn the heat on the lowest flame for a gas cooktop or very low for an electric stovetop. Cook for 3 hours, uncovered (these beans will remain uncovered the whole time). Stir every so often. You will notice some white foam rise to the top- you can scoop that out.
After 3 hours, add the kombu, bay leaves, olive oil, and plant butter. Mix well and cook on very low heat for one hour, stirring every so often.
After 1 hour (a total of 4 hours at this point), remove the kombu and bay leaves and add the ‘Vegetables and Seasonings’. Continue to cook for 2-3 hours on very low heat, stirring every so often.
After about 6 hours of total cooking time, add the ‘Fresh Boost + Vinegar + Salt’. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the beans to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, then reduce the heat to low-medium and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook the beans at a light simmer, stirring often, until the beans are tender and delicious, another 2 to 3 hours. (If the beans are taking longer than 3 hours to soften, turn the heat up slightly and continue to cook until they are tender. Remember to stir often as they will stick, especially with higher heat.) Once the beans are tender, take out 1 cup of the beans and mash them thoroughly or blend the beans until smooth and creamy. Return back to the pot.
Once the beans have cooked down and you have a thick gravy-like consistency, you’re done! Adjust the salt and black pepper to taste and serve with fluffy white rice and garnish with chopped green onions and parsley.

Notes

I know that this recipe calls for a lot of fresh herbs. But to make these beans truly shine, they need the full amount of each aromatic listed. I urge you to follow the measurements precisely.

If during the cooking process you have to leave the house for a quick errand or whatnot, you can simply turn off the heat, cover with the lid, and resume cooking when you return home. (As long as you are only gone for around an hour... you don't want to let the beans sit for too long without heat.) When you return home, simply remove the lid, turn back on to low heat, and continue on your way!

To bulk these beans up, add large chunks of carrots (add these when there are at least 2 hours left of cooking) and/or browned vegan sausage or mushrooms during the last hour of cooking.

Nutrition